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Wolfen Hills
|Row 6 title = Major Settlements |Row 6 info = * Wolfenhold * Penfro |Row 7 title = Minor Settlements |Row 7 info = * Cydweli * Ynysddu |Row 8 title = Area |Row 8 info = 154 km2 |Row 9 title = Status |Row 9 info = Mynyw Controlled }}The Wolfen Hills is an autonomous province of the Mynyw Heartlands within the Kingdom of Stromgarde. It was created in the Treaty of the Western Door, which officially recognized the Wolfenhold Wardens as a sanctioned organization and structured its land as an autonomous province of the Heartlands. It is ruled by the Commandant of Wolfenhold, of which pays no taxes to the Conclave and maintains its own military presence that is separate from the Conclave's ability to call them to arms. The Wolfen Hills was the second-to-last region to be added to the Heartlands, however the next province -- Flamespitters -- would not be added for another hundred or more years. It is the smallest province in land size, being 154 km2 and the least populated, having less than one thousand residents. It bordered by the provinces of Flamespitters to southwest, Fadryn to the southeast, and Witherbark Territory to the north and northwest. The capital of the Wolfen Hills is the Wolfenhold, however Penfro is its largest town and considered the trading and farming hub of the province. Geography The Wolfen Hills lies within a large valley -- protected on two sides by the Calontir Mountain Range. Its northern opening has meets the Witherbark Territory and the greater Arathi Highlands while its southern opening leads into the Heartlands proper. This valley has been a strategic opening to the Mynyw Heartlands, causing several well-placed fotifications to be erected to guard it. As the valley moves naturally into hilly lowlands, forests have grown since its natural creation. However, much of the land has been deforested, leading it to become grasslands for agriculture or pastures for animal husbandry. The northeastern parts of Calontir Mountains have been used frequently for quarrying and mining, being rich in iron, quality stone, and other precious minerals. The southwestern edge leads into a smaller valley filled with a dense forest of heartwood. The Wolfen Hills has mild summers and cold winters; spring is the rainiest season due to its proximity to the coast and experiences heavy rainfall several days out of the week. Summer and autumn are natural planting and harvesting seasons due to the relatively dry and rainy days leveling off the warmer it gets. Winters are frigid and snowfall tends to be heavy -- filling up the passes. Economy The Wolfen Hills is a strategic province and not particularly economical compared to the larger and richer provinces of the Heartlands. However, it is somewhat self-sufficient in due to not being required to export resources outside of it to other provinces. Because of this, wealth is typically spread around as needed with the majority of the resources being either brought to the Wolfenhold for the common defense or the more luxury items (such as gems and precious minerals) being sold to merchants that travel on the Old Road. 'Major' Exports include: * Precious minterals (gold, gems, rare metals)) * Timber (Oak, Heartwood, Pine, etc.) * Crafts * Herbs These exports are purely those produced in excess, with exception to precious minerals. All wealth that is invested is typically on a per village basis and is equally shared among its denizens. Natural Resources The Wolfen Hills has access to the ore rich Calontir Mountains. The follow metals have been found: * Gold * Silver * Iron * Tin * Copper * Lead * Coal The Wolfen Hills additionally has a thriving forest consisting of many confiers to the southwest near Cydweli: * Oak * Pine * Fir * Spruce * Maple * Birtch * Heartwood Lastly, various herbs can be found in the hills: * Peacebloom * Silverleaf * Earthroot * Mageroyal * Brairthorn * Steelbloom * Kingsblood * Fadeleaf * Goldthorn * Belladonna * Thornapple (Jimson Weed) Locations Wolfenhold Those that keep vigil over the Western Door are those that reside in the age-old fortress of the Wolfenhold. Established early on in the Mynyw's history by Vrykul proto-Humans, the Wolfenhold has kept watch over the southwestern-most pass of the Heartlands even before they were under the administration of the Conclave. It stands as the true capital of the Wolfen Hills, however it does not house a large civilian populace and instead houses almost all members of the Wolfenhold Wardens. The fortress has two levels of fortifications -- the first level being the old Vrykul fortifications made of wood with a deep stone foundation and reinforced with old runic power. On top of his first level sits the keep -- a reconstructed longhouse that serves as the final line of defense for the stronghold. The second, more modern stone fortifications are larger with thick walls and battlements ready to take on a siege. The Wolfenhold is further divided into several districts: * Courtyard: First level, includes keep and barracks for senior personnel * Training Ground: Second level, maintains large open spaces for martial training and barracks for newer personnel * Artistan Quarter: Where civilians come to work the various artisan jobs needed such as a blacksmith, tailor, leatherworker, initial food storage, etc. * Mage Tower: Erected by High Elves during the Arathorian Empire in the artisan district. Doubles as an armory. * Lower Residential Quarter: Final place for civilians and Wardens to live with their families. Penfro Initially simply a trading post, Penfro grew out of a need to maintain a market between the villages of Cydweli and Ynysddu to connect to the Old Road and the rest of the Heartlands. Housing more than one hundred families in the more populated areas of Penfro and many more on the outskirts, it has grown as the largest village within the Wolfen Hills and is the second only to the Wolfenhold in importance. This is punctuated by the fact that the Wolfenhold Wardens traditionally send a small Chapter commanded by a Warden-Serjeant to act as the garrison. It was briefly corrupted by the Mindtaint Stone by the betrayer, Serjeant Vecatus, who was slain by Goewynn-Gwydion nic Llwach and Dubheasa nic Angelystor. The village is now temporarily run by Teumas nic Venivarus, the town's bellman. Cydweli A small town due to its vicinity to Blackwood Forest, Cydweli has long been a timber town. Consisting of a few mass residences, a few mills, and a small amount of food supply, Cydweli has been the staple for maintaining the lumber trade within the Wolfen Hills. When the Hills were littered with trees, each lumber camp answered directly to Cydweli, organization a mass deforestation operation over several hundred years. Now Cydweli is overseen by the Rhyfellion in order to prevent the environment from becoming too unstable due to the deforestation. It is run by a former Rhyfellion, Aifric the Green. Ynysddu A large mining town, this is the second-largest village solely dedicated to a trade. It has, however, grown further than its industry and becoming a bit more of a small hub for several outposts within the mountains. It is here that all quarries and mines bring the stone and ore and minerals to be cut, smelted into bars, or refined into gems in order to given or sold out to the rest of the Hills or to traders at Penfro. Because of this, Ynysddu tends to make more money than it really needs and manages its own militia. The town is run by a innovative Mynyw Gnome called only Val. Blackwood Forest In the old times the Blackwood enveloped all the Wolfen Hills. Now it is half its original size and is contained to the southwest portion of the Hills. A majority exists within the Blackwood Valley and it gets its name due to the dense forest cover and the dark things it attracts. The Rhyfellion rarely patrol this area and historically has become a place where criminals, exiles, and witches hide from Mynyw patrols. There is a ruin as well -- though no one knows who built it or what it contains for no one has strayed near it... Category:Stromgarde Locations Category:Mynyw Category:Kingdom of Stromgarde Category:Places Category:Arathi Highlands Locations Category:Wolfenhold